In a significant development for municipal workers in Portland, a potential strike has been narrowly avoided after intense negotiations between the City of Portland and the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU). The two parties reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract moments before the impending strike was set to commence this morning. The deal was concluded after a reported 30 hours of mediation spread over two days, according to an announcement by the City of Portland.
The DCTU, poised to walk off the job, had their negotiations faltered, and it represents around 200 city workers employed across various bureaus, including Fleet & Facilities, Water, Environmental Services, Permitting & Development, and Transportation. Beginning their contract talks in April last year and proceeding to mediation in November, their members earn an average annual pay of around $102,000, with total compensation averaging about $158,000, as detailed by the city's release.
In parallel, the City of Portland also finalized negotiations with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), reaching a separate tentative agreement after what was described as a marathon mediation session the previous Wednesday. AFSCME—the city's largest bargaining unit—represents over 1,000 workers in various roles ranging from Customer Service Representatives to Utility Workers. They reported an average earning of about $87,000 in the latest budget year, with total compensation packages hovering around $139,000.
The tentative three-year agreement with AFSCME features $22.2 million in new spending. This includes $20.9 million spread over the contract length, with an additional $1.3 million in one-time investments. Among the improvements, the agreement provides increased premium pay for night and weekend shifts, additional personal days for employees required to work fully in person, a 5% premium for jail side workers, and targeted wage increases, to name a few. The full scope of the changes with in-depth financial breakdowns has yet to be distributed to AFSCME members and the media, which is expected to follow shortly, as mentioned in the city's statement.
